West Bridgewater police shocked’ at number of texting drivers

West Bridgewater police say they are “shocked” at the number of people they caught texting while driving over a four-hour period this weekend, and more operations are planned.

By Justin Graeber

The Taunton Daily Gazette, Taunton, MA

By Justin Graeber

Posted Jan. 9, 2013 at 12:01 AM
Updated Jan 9, 2013 at 9:11 AM

By Justin Graeber

Posted Jan. 9, 2013 at 12:01 AM
Updated Jan 9, 2013 at 9:11 AM

WEST BRIDGEWATER

» Social News

The woman told the police officer who’d just pulled her over it was OK, she wasn’t texting while driving. She was on Facebook.

That’s the silliest excuse West Bridgewater police heard as they conducted a texting while driving sting over the weekend, but the issue is no laughing matter, and police were taken aback by the number of drivers cited.

“I’m shocked by the number of stops officers made today,” said Lt. Victor Flaherty in a statement. “We all need to change our thinking and attitude on this offense, it’s a serious issue and dangerous.”

On Saturday, between 12-4 p.m., seven West Bridgewater officers were assigned strictly to target drivers texting while operating a motor vehicle. The operation had three officers in unmarked vehicles watching and confirming drivers texting, Flaherty said. Uniformed officers then pulled over the drivers.

All told, police made 51 stops for texting. Twenty percent of the people stopped were female drivers between the ages of 26 and 40. Sixteen percent of those stopped were female drivers between the ages of 16-25. Men were split evenly between the age group of 16-25 and 26-40, according to data from the department.

Flaherty said police have seen dangerous increase in traffic accidents on Route 106. Many of these accidents appear to be from inattentive or distracted drivers, he said.

“I have instructed our officers that we will have zero tolerance for operators texting while driving,” Flaherty said. He added that more operations targeting texting drivers are planned for the future.